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<title>cozy afternoons by obitoforpresident (Bibixblocksberg)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495424">cozy afternoons</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibixblocksberg/pseuds/obitoforpresident'>obitoforpresident (Bibixblocksberg)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Did someone say cotton candy? [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:01:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibixblocksberg/pseuds/obitoforpresident</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“What can I do for you?”</p>
  <p>A deep baritone reached her ears, sending shivers down her spine and making her heart flutter in her chest. With wide eyes she met the gaze of the barista and her mouth got dry. In front of her was a man she never saw here before, because damn – she definitely would have remembered a man like that.</p>
  <p>“Erm –“</p>
</blockquote>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tenten/Yamato | Tenzou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Did someone say cotton candy? [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814743</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>cozy afternoons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/azuzel23/gifts">azuzel23</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you, <a href="https://azuzel23.tumblr.com/">Zu</a> for your constant support and all your sweet words! I hope you enjoy this little piece!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a windy, sunny autumn day as Tenten was walking through the busy streets of Konohagakure, her two best friends walking at her side and chattering about the latest videogame release, she couldn’t care less about. Colorful fallen leaves were crunching under her boots, her nose was a rosy red where it looked up over the top of her scarf, and she just enjoyed the last rays of sunshine on her face. </p><p>They had just finished their last lecture for the week and, as always, they wanted to celebrate it in their favorite coffee shop. <i>The Hidden Leaf</i> was a cozy establishment with soft couches, fairy lights and the best coffee in the world, and it was a common place of refuge for students and professors alike. At the moment, she was just hoping that her favorite couch, standing directly in front of the windows, was still free and available.</p><p>Lee and Neji were a few steps ahead of her now, Lee talking animatedly about his last date with Sakura, and Tenten had to hide a grin behind her knitted scarf as she took a look at Neji’s face. The long-haired man’s facial expression looked like a mixture of <i>absolutely done with the world in its whole</i> and <i>I should at least try to look like I’m interested</i>, and it was such a familiar expression. For both, Neji and her. It wasn’t as if they didn’t love Lee to the bones since kindergarten, it was just – sometimes Lee could be a bit too much and to both their horror, they had learned in high-school that Lee liked to share <i>everything</i> with them. </p><p>Tenten will never fully recover from the day Lee had told her that he had his first morning wood.</p><p>On the other hand, Tenten herself was still a bit surprised that Sakura still went on dates with her friend. She had thought that the pink-haired girl was still hung up on Sasuke, but it seemed like she finally moved on. Which was definitely good for her and everyone around. If Tenten had to listen to one more breakdown about the Uchiha, she would have had a breakdown herself, and she wasn’t sure if anyone would have survived that. </p><p>Tenten’s own love life wasn’t worth talking about. She and Kankurou had mutually agreed to end their relationship a year ago, and since then no one had held hey eye for long. Sure, she had a few one-night-stands here and there – a woman had her needs after all – but there wasn’t a single person whom she would’ve called partner-material. </p><p>And yes, maybe she was too demanding, maybe guys just weren’t interested enough in girls like her, but in the end she couldn’t care less. Tenten didn’t have a problem with herself, quite the contrary. She loved her ripped boyfriend jeans, her engineering studies and a good bottle of beer while watching football. It seemed to intimidate most men that she actually was capable of repairing her own car, but well – it was their loss. She had her best friends and that was enough.</p><p>They had reached the coffeeshop in the meantime, Neji holding the door open for her and with a bright smile on her face, Tenten entered the cozy shop. The smell of roasted coffee beans and freshly baked muffins instantly filled her nose, and she felt like hugging the world for a moment there. No scent was able to calm and relax her more, and her smile grew even bigger as she noticed that her favorite spot was still empty. </p><p>Lee was already on his way to the comfortable couch, as if he had read her mind, and she turned to Neji who was still standing behind her. </p><p>“You want the usual?” </p><p>Neji nodded, his fingers brushing against her arm in a quite thanks before he walked through the clutter of tables and chairs in Lee’s direction. Neji was much more graceful than their bowl-cutted friend, and more than one customer was staring after him. Tenten just stifled a giggle at the sight. </p><p>Tenten took off her gloves while going to the counter, not once looking up at the barista behind the cash register. </p><p>“What can I do for you?”</p><p>A deep baritone reached her ears, sending shivers down her spine and making her heart flutter in her chest. With wide eyes she met the gaze of the barista and her mouth got dry. In front of her was a man she never saw here before, because damn – she definitely would have remembered a man <i>like that</i>. </p><p>“Erm –“</p><p>Tenten wasn’t capable of forming words, her cheeks reddening with every second that passed in silence and the cute barista was still smiling at her. Kami, what a smile that was. It was one of those smiles which was brighter than the summer sun, which was not only shining on his lips but his eyes too and – well, it was mesmerizing. </p><p>His brown hair was looking soft to the touch, inviting her to brush her fingers through it, and her eyes followed a brown lock which was hanging over his forehead. But she couldn’t stop there – her eyes roamed over full rosy lips, broad shoulders and she thanked all the heaven’s above for form-fitting t-shirts because it gave her a hint of a toned stomach. </p><p>“Tenten, stop staring, it’s rude!”</p><p>Kakashi’s voice startled her from her staring contest with the new barista’s chest, and she could feel herself blush to the roots of her hair. She didn’t even know when the last time was, that she was so out of it. It was embarrassing to say the least, especially as she saw Kakashi’s bright smirk. She was tempted to slap it from his face. </p><p>Kakashi was her tutor in mechanics and he worked in the <i>Hidden Leaf</i> since its opening a few years ago. Normally, Tenten liked the older man very much and she would even go as far as to say that they were friends, but right now she wanted to see him buried six feet under. She just hoped, he wouldn’t make one of his shitty perverted jokes.</p><p>She threw him the middle finger, Kakashi pressing a hand on his heart in mock hurt while the new barista seemed to just be confused, and to Tenten’s absolute delight she spotted Obito coming up to them. The black-haired man was the owner of the shop and Kakashi’s boyfriend, and the only person she knew who could reign the silver-haired man back in when he was busy destroying people’s life. </p><p>“Are you bothering the poor girl again, Bakakashi?”</p><p>Obito was grinning, white teeth gleaming and the stretch twisting his scars, and with a wink at Tenten he turned his boyfriend around before pushing him at the far end of the counter. Tenten was sure that she had to resemble a tomato at this point and with sweaty hands she looked back at the definitely too hot new barista. </p><p>“You know these two?”</p><p>“Sadly,” Tenten sighed resigned, and the barista let out a little laugh. Her heart fluttered at the delightful sound, their eyes meeting and for a few seconds she got lost in dark brown eyes. </p><p>“So –“ he raked a hand through his hair. “You want to order something?”</p><p>Tenten snapped her head up, her gaze had been directed at his chest <i>again</i>, and with a shaky voice she gave him her order. After another knee-weakening smile, she made her way back to her friends. </p><p>“What took you so long?” Lee asked curiously, his legs curled up under him in a wing chair. </p><p>She felt Neji squinting his eyes at her, his lavender eyes wandering from her to the counter and back again, a tiny smile playing on his lips. Tenten just sank further down in her seat and regretted the fact that she had such an attentive friend as Neji. Sometimes, he was too intelligent for his own good. And hers. </p><p>“Did it have something to do with the new barista by chance?”</p><p>Tenten looked at Neji murderously while Lee jumped up to look at the counter over the top of his chair. </p><p>“He’s cute,” Lee hollered, other patrons instantly looking in their direction. Tenten wanted to die. </p><p>“It had nothing do with him. Kakashi was just an ass, like always.”</p><p>Neji laughed into her face while Lee wiggled his eyebrows at her, and Tenten definitely needed new friends. It was silent between them while they waited for their chosen beverages, and Tenten made herself busy with looking out of the window. It was slowly getting darker over the city and she contemplated which movie to watch when she was finally lying in her bed. </p><p>“Sorry, that you had to wait so long.”</p><p>And there it was again – the smooth voice dripping like honey and Tenten asked herself how it would sound whispered against her ear in the darkness of her bedroom. Dear Kami, <i>what was wrong with her</i>? </p><p>“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Neji answered him, and the barista put their drinks on the table between them. Tenten got a good whiff of his cologne, the scent burning itself in her nose and making herself the tiniest bit dizzy. He smelled like pinewood and musky, and she wanted to bath in it. The barista didn’t say anything else before going back to the counter, and as Tenten woke up from her trance again and looked at the table, her cheeks reddened deeply.</p><p>Right in front of her, as if it was mocking her, was a big mug with white coffee, a carefully made heart in the foam. It was beautiful and so unbelievable sweet but – </p><p>“I think he confused our orders,” Neji muttered, while Lee was giggling in his seat.</p><p>“You think so? Maybe he did it for you?”</p><p>Tenten was staring at her friend who just gave her <i>a look</i>. He had an unreadable expression on his face while he switched their beverages, and she could hear Kakashi laughing loudly at the counter. She decided it would be better to not glance in the direction of her tutor, instead she took a sip of her espresso. </p><p>“I swear, if there’s a ring in it and I’ll die of suffocation, I’ll hunt you down.”</p><p>Tenten just snorted into her cup of coffee.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>___</p>
</div>It was the beginning of December as Tenten made her way to her favorite coffeeshop. Snow was slowly falling from the sky in thick flakes, and a bright grin was shining on her face. She loved snow and the pre-christmas time. With shaking, cold fingers she pulled her mobile from her pocket, sending a message to Lee and asking if he was ready for their annual snow fight, tomorrow morning.<p>They always did this the morning after the first snow had fallen, and she knew Lee wouldn’t decline. And indeed – a few seconds later she got a message back, her grin growing bigger as she looked at the emojis of a snowman and a thumbs-up. </p><p>She reached her destination, shivering as some snowflakes melted on her face, and as she entered the dimly lit shop, she immediately looked to the counter in hopes of seeing Tenzo again. But all she could see were Kakashi’s silver locks and his hunched form where he was propped up on the counter. He smirked at her as he saw her standing in the doorway. </p><p>“If you wait ten more minutes, Tenzo will be here <i>to fulfill your wishes</i>.”</p><p>Tenten was flushing to the roots of her hair while Kakashi giggled at his own joke. </p><p>“Am I that obvious?” She sighed, leaning against the counter and crossing her feet.</p><p>“Yes. Just ask him for a date already.”</p><p>It wasn’t the first time that Kakashi said that to her. In the last two months she had gone to the coffeeshop four times a week, more often than not totally alone, and slowly she had built some kind of friendship with the new barista - <i>Tenzo</i>. She had endured Kakashi’s knowing grins, Obito’s amused questions if she wanted to have a job and she had spent hours on end talking with the brown-haired man. </p><p>She had contemplated asking him for a date for some weeks now, but she still didn’t know if he would be interested. The older man was reserved, a bit shy in social interactions and there was never even the hint of a lingering look or even the tiniest fleeting touch. </p><p>“I can’t ask him for a date, Kakashi.”</p><p>Kakashi rolled his eyes, slamming his hands on the counter and startling a few of the other customers, but all Tenten did was stare at him, totally unimpressed. </p><p>“Tenten, I’m begging you – if I have to see the both of you pining for another week, I’ll go insane. Believe me when I say that he’s as smitten as you, please.”</p><p>Kakashi’s expression was serious, his eyes nearly pleading and Tenten could feel herself crumbling in her decision under his gaze. </p><p>“I need something stronger than espresso to do that.”</p><p>Kakashi’s grey eyes lit up instantly, and amused, she watched as he made her a coffee and poured some whiskey into it. It was quite tasty, and she should stop with her jokes about Kakashi’s coffee-making skills. </p><p>Tenten finished her coffee the same moment as Tenzo made his way behind the counter. Kami, but he was beautiful. Today, he was wearing a tight black turtleneck, and her eyes were stuck on his well-defined bicep. Kakashi waved behind the brown-haired man, his gestures telling her that she had a task to complete. </p><p>“Erm – Tenzo?”</p><p>Brown eyes were instantly lying on her face, burning her skin, and she had to take a few deep breaths to be able to ask her question. </p><p>“Would you – would you go on a date with me?”</p><p>Tenzo smiled, brightly and like the sun, and Tenten could feel butterflies dancing in her stomach. Kakashi was dancing behind Tenzo’s back and Tenten’s hands twitched to throw something at him.</p><p>“Sure. Tonight?”</p><p>Tenten snapped her head up, staring at the man of her dreams as she was gaping like a fish. That was it? <i>Sure?</i> She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, because she was still a nervous wreck and had spent weeks with creating a plan how to ask the older man. She still didn’t had one – Kakashi had just overpowered her and – here Tenzo was, smiling like nothing was wrong in the world and saying <i>sure</i>. </p><p>“Tenten?”</p><p>Tenzo was looking worried now, his brows furrowed and eyes sparkling, and Tenten was sure that she wouldn’t survive another minute in his proximity. She straightened herself up, her hands gripping her bag and determined she looked Tenzo in the face. </p><p>“Tonight. There’s this movie I wanted to see and didn’t had the time to. Eight o’clock, Konoha city center.”</p><p>And with that she was turning around, fleeing from the shop and being thankful for the snow which cooled down her heated face. She still couldn’t believe that she had done that – that she had asked Tenzo for a date, and just threw a time and place at him, without checking if it was alright with him. She buried her face in her hands, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and she flinched as she heard the familiar beeping sound of her cellphone. </p><p>A quiet laugh spilled from her lips as she read the message. </p><p><b>Tenzo:</b> <i>I’ll be there. Looking forward to seeing you again.</i></p>
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